It's one of those things that ya gotta WANT to do

 Freeze out Lake . They don't call it that for nothing . This year we were prepared and brought all the Alaska gear and still...I ain't been that cold since end of September Silver fishing with Chris Fejes when I pored hot coffee on my Extra Tuff's. We get there in time to watch the Geese return to the water for the night after eating in the farm fields all day and then it was off to the motel so that we can be back at the lake for sunrise and see the Geese lift off to repeat the daily process, 20,000  of them. If you might know me to exaggerate a bit just check out this pic.

That would be an icicle on the back-up camera of MP's car....When we got to the motel we went straight to the hot tub where we were joined by a young German woman who had just returned from the Lake with here photographer husband. She had me in stitches : " It's just ridiculous, sooo cold, ridiculous . Oh Helga look, click, click click....click click click, just ridiculous ".  

So in the morning with a temp of 18 degrees and wind at 15 to 20 we got to see the show. The Geese lifted off in three different groups but very impressive. I shot this video with my Samsung Tablet and the quality isn't what I would have liked, maybe poor light as it was 10 minutes after sunrise or maybe the lens was fogged up as it was a -45 chill factor....but you get the idea. Heck, we're out in nature. 

 

So they say we had 7000 Swans and 20,000 Geese. I think last year my pics turned out a bit better but hey, I'm learning.

And Choteau Montana , what a wonderfully welcoming place.  We found two second hand stores for MP. We stayed at the Stage Stop Inn that is privately  owned and is about the nicest / funnest / cleanest place we've ever stayed. They have 2 dollar gin + tonics , MP won 35 bucks while I watched Montana State lose to Grambling in the NCAA tourney and they had the best waffle fries . The hot tub is like they  incorporated it into their business plan knowing that Freeze Out Lake was going to be big draw...It's a great place,  so down to earth , Montana like....this pic tells it all...Now in some towns the Future Farmers of America might raffle a cord but in Choteau, no way, it's a cord and a half. 

So having taken a 7:00 a.m. Lakeside hike, snapped 6 successful pics and 47 failures while drinking 5 cups of coffee we head back to Helena...the long way of course . It had rained the day before so with the temperature drop there was an eerie ground fog . As we drove a long  highway 408 we could hear Geese and bumped into these guys for more pics. I don't know what they prefer to eat but I kinda figured most Farmers here would wish they's find another field.

If you haven't been to Augusta Montana you're missing one of the most beautiful towns in the USA. Nobody cares if you stand in the middle of main street and fiddle with your camera for a blog shot,  in fact I had a Northwest Energy guy wave and give me a thumbs up...you folks over in Jordan Montana could take a lesson.

And now for your semi weekly ' how the hell is 003 doing ' report.

Well : I've seen 5 different doctors and given blood to all five of them. It seems that even though I carry the Factor V Lieden gene mutation they did not feel that would be the cause of such a huge late in life blood clot. So, that rules out one of the three things that could cause that type of clot ( genetics ) with injury or a malignancy being the other two. I've had no injuries or surgeries so they had to rule out cancer. 

My last cancer screening was in this baby where they looked for lung cancer. It did show a 3 mm sized nodule in my lower right lung that they categorize as non-suspicious . weew, were we relieved or what ! It was a CT Scan with contrast where they inject you with iodine type of thing to show everything better and I'll be a happy man if I never have to go through that again . SO...They have decided that my DVT was ' unprovoked ' which is very unusual but in this case it is so . I'll be on the blood thinner Eliquis at least until August when I see my 3rd doctor again to chart the rest of my life, maybe thinners everyday, maybe not....In the meantime I see the neck guy on Monday and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will allow and do surgery ASAP .  I continue to wear the compression socks as you can still see some edema....now those socks are a big pain in the ass but they certainly help, you can see it. And MP always being the loving supporter of this side show found me this deal at one of her 2nd hand stores. Thanks baby for the nod to the old guy.

In the meantime.....

 the fish are disappearing...... Yesterday my curiosity got to me and I went on line to watch The Alaska Board of Fisheries ( BOF ) meeting as they do every three years to set management plans to supposedly maintain healthy fisheries for the use of the people.  It's an amazingly open to the public process where proposals are considered for all and any groups or individuals who submit them .....and it's agonizingly dysfunctional . When I stopped in on the meeting the days of public testimony were over and  the BOF was hearing from anybody that had anything new to say. Well, it was ugly Howard ! I thought I was in a time warp. The same ol same ol people telling the same ol same ol story of what's best for them and not the Salmon. 

When I served on the Governors transition teams there was talk of creating a full time paid professional fish board .  When the BOF got caught vote trading in the early 80's there was talk of creating a full time professional fish board . When, well dare I say, no I won't , but when certain individuals were appointed to the BOF through the years the obvious advocacy and conflicted interest of these people cried out for reform . It hasn't happened ....

Everyone knows the Kenai King Salmon are failing. Now they argue over dozens of dead fish when they used to argue and fight over thousands. It's been well over ten years that rules have changed to try and get more Kings to spawn. Closures , no opportunity, spawning goals and sonar counts going down and down...and yet...they want to and expect to keep fishing. So it's this simple : the same people who helped set the plans  that ain't solved the problem continue to be the ones whose counsel is collected to fix the problem. They cocktail after meeting hours, they're on first name basis, the BOF understands their language because they're ALL commercial users , the coyotes are in charge of the hen house...and always have been.  

It's should be obvious that this traditional BOF system only works for abundant and flourishing fisheries, which the State is running out of. SO, rather than another plan maybe we should be revising the planning process itself. In fact , I'm pretty certain of that .  So here's one of the lists that you know I like, suggestions to fix the fixers . Fish like this hen that Mike caught are the deal, we gotta keep them...

1. The Alaska Native community must always have a seat or seats on the 7 member BOF.  

2. All BOF and especially BOF Advisory Board members can only serve one two terms and a review of their performance should be done before the 2nd term.

3. The BOF will not appoint ' committees ' during meetings . Why ? because the same ol, same ol , people end up on the committees.

4. Public input through testimony will be given once. I don't care who you are or who you think you are , you get to speak once . If advocacy groups ' stack ' their members testimony and it appears as a presentation to the BOF it will not be allowed. 

5. BOF members during the deliberation phase of the meeting will not dine or drink with meeting attendees.

6. BOF members will not vote on any fisheries issues in any fishery that they hold permits or business licenses in or that their families do. They are also excluded from speaking to any proposals that they or their families have an interest in, both in public and in private.

7.   The BOF when taking testimony will give extra attention and time to young people.

8.  Some how Common sense must be applied...these tenets should be incorporated always just as allocation criteria is applied before deciding who gets what and why.

      A. All mixed stock fisheries will be managed for sustainability of the least numerical of the stocks.

     B. Over escapement does not exist . There is no such thing as to many fish.

     C. When there are no fish there will be no fishing.

     D. All fisheries will be managed with the goal of targeted harvest only. There is NO acceptable 

          by - catch . 

     E.  The most important fish is still the one that ends up on Alaskan's table. And, the only time who  

           came first matters is when talking of the Native / Village communities who should always  have                 a preference. 

 

        F.  Trust the math. Keep it simple . Make it  understandable .  

       G.  Good Luck...